We use cookies to ensure we give you the best browsing experience on our website.
Accept

About Us

Fabrizio W. LUCIOLLI

President - Italy

Since 2014, President of the Atlantic Treaty Association and President of the Italian Atlantic Committee, Fabrizio W. Luciolli is Professor of International Security Organizations, Military Policy, and National Security Policy at the Center for High Defense Studies of the Italian Ministry of Defense (2000-2015). He is a regular lecturer in various national and international, military, and academic institutions.

Coordinator of Training Courses for military officers and diplomats in the Western Balkans and Middle East, he is Director and promoter of NATO and EU cooperation projects in Central and Southeastern Europe and in the Mediterranean countries. Prof. Luciolli is also a Consultant on foreign affairs and security matters to various Governments and Members of Parliament as well as Advisor for International and Institutional Relations of private groups. He is the author of several papers and articles published in national and foreign journals.

Email: president@atahq.org

Karl A. LAMERS

Vice President - Germany

Vice President of the Atlantic Treaty Association and German politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). As Member of the German Bundestag since 1994, Hon. Dr. Lamers has been the Deputy Chairman of the Defense Committee since 2005 and a Substitute Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs since 1998. He was Chairman of the Sub-Committee “Development of Internal Leadership” of the Defence Committee from 2003 to 2007 and Chairman of the Group of Rapporteurs for Future Air Defence of the Defence Committee between 1995 and 1998. Member of the NATO PA since 1998, he was Chairman of the Political Committee of the NATO PA from 2008 to 2010, and elected President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly from 2010 to 2012. Hon. Dr. Lamers was also ATA President from 2008-2014. He was honoured with the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 2009 and the Grand Cross of the Order for Merits to Lithuania in 2011.

Email: karl-a.lamers@wk.bundestag.de

Elena POPTODOROVA

Vice President - Bulgaria

Vice President of the Atlantic Treaty Association and Bulgarian politician and diplomat, who has served two times as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Bulgaria to the United States.

Elena Poptodorova joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1975 and served from 3rd secretary through minister-counselor in the Secretariat, the State Protocol, the Cabinet of the Minister and the UN and Disarmament Directorates through 1990, when she was elected in the national legislature.

From 1987 to 1990 she was Minister-Counselor at the Bulgarian embassy in Rome and Bulgaria’s Consul General to the Republic of San Marino.

Prior to her appointment in Washington, Ambassador Elena Poptodorova was Director of the Security Policy Directorate at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a position, which she held for a year since August 1, 2009. In the period 2008 – 2009 she served as Ambassador-at-Large for the Black Sea Region at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Before her first mandate as the Ambassador of Bulgaria to the USA, she served as a spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Director of the Human Rights and International Humanitarian Organizations Directorate.

From 2002 to 2008 she was Bulgaria’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United States of America, when Bulgaria became a member of NATO and the EU. She was sent second time in the same post in 2010, and remained in the office until May 16, 2016.

Ambassador Poptodorova has been a founding member of the Atlantic Club of Bulgaria, and she is fluent in English, Italian, French, Russian, and her native Bulgarian.

Email: elenapoptodorova@atlantic-club.org

Vladan ZIVULOVIC

Vice President - Serbia

Vice President of the Atlantic Treaty Association and President of the Atlantic Council of Serbia, a non government agency which stands for Euro-Atlantic integrations and values.

In August 2004 the Government of Serbia and Montenegro appointed Dr. Zivulovic as Director of the Fund for the Reform of the Defense System, until 31st May 2006. From 2006 until August 2007 – Counselor for the legal and economic matters of the Rector and owner of the Megatrend University, the largest private University in Serbia.

Since August 2006 and currently – Head of Equest, Investment Fund which has invested around 1 billion euros so far in various infrastructure projects in Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro.

He has been appointed by His Royal Highness the Prince Aleksandar II Karađorđević as a member of the Executive Board of the Endowment of King Petar I Karađorđević on Oplenac.

He is a member of the Crown Cabinet.

Email: office@atlanticcouncil.rs

Jean-Paul PREUMONT

Treasurer - Belgium

Jean-Paul R. Preumont is Treasurer of the Atlantic Treaty Association since May 2011. Before taking on this function, he was Director of the Centre for studies (1976 – 1991) and Vice-President (1991 – 2011) of the Euro-Atlantic Association of Belgium. Since 2003, he is also Chairman of the Jury of the Euro-Atlantic Award of the Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Email: jeanpaul.preumont@ata-sec.org

Arnaud JANSEN

Legal Adviser - Belgium

Arnaud J. D. Jansen is attorney at law and a member of the Brussels bar since 1990. He was elected as Legal Adviser and Counsellor in May 2007. He is member, ex officio, of the Bureau, the Council and the General Assembly of the ATA.

Email: a.jansen@avocat.be

Zsolt RABAI

Mr RABAI is the Secretary General of the Atlantic Treaty Association as per the decision of the 64 General Assembly

Email: rabai@atahq.org

Amish LAXMIDAS

YATA President - Portugal

Mr Amish LAXMIDAS is President of YATA International and YATA Portugal. He is member, ex officio, of the ATA Bureau.

Amish is the Policy and Partnerships of UNITE, a global network of parliamentarians created under the auspicious of UNAIDS. Prior joining UNITE, Amish was a consultant for African markets for Portuguese companies and has helped many companies in starting business there.

He was equally responsible for organizing the most important political event in Iberian Peninsula, the Estoril Conferences. Focused as well on the interreligious dialogue with the office of the Prime Minister, Amish works closely with the High Commission for Migrations and he is the Secretary-general of the House of India.

Email:

Letizia TORRETTA

Program Director - Italy

Graduated in Political Sciences at the Catholic University in Milan, Ms. Torretta holds a Master Degree in Politics and International Relations from the LUMSA University in Rome. In 2015, during her Master Degree on Internal ed External Security of the European Union from Sciences Po Strasbourg, she participate in an internship program at Eurocorps Headquarters and at the Representation of the European Commission in Rome in 2016.

Email: torretta@atahq.org

Simon HERTELEER

Communication and Fundraising Officer - Belgium

Mr. Herteleer is the Communication and Fundraising Officer at the Atlantic Treaty Association. Before joining ATA, Mr. Herteleer worked on several projects related to defense and security with the Atlantic Treaty Association. He holds a Master degree in International and European Law from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and a Master degree in International Relations from the University of Antwerp.

Email: simon.herteleer@atahq.org

Samuel LUYCKX

YATA Liaison and Administrative Officer - Belgium

Mr. Samuel Luyckx is the YATA Liaison and Administrative Officer for the Secretariat of the Atlantic Treaty Association.

Email: luyckx@atahq.org

Bernadett BAKOS

Intern - Hungary

Ms. Bakos completed her high school education in Hungary last year. She decided to take one year off for getting some practical experience as a volunteer with an international NGO before she continues her university studies. Ms. Bakos is interested in mediation in conflict situations.

Email: secretariat@atahq.org

Mark ROKOW

Intern - United States

Mr. Rokow graduated near the top of his class with honors from Geneva High School in New York. From here, Mr. Rokow is currently enrolled in American University in Washington DC pursuing a degree in Economics and International Relations.

Email: secretariat@atahq.org

Amish LAXMIDAS

President - Portugal

Mr Amish LAXMIDAS is President of YATA Portugal

Amish is the Policy and Partnerships of UNITE, a global network of parliamentarians created under the auspicious of UNAIDS. Prior joining UNITE, Amish was a consultant for African markets for Portuguese companies and has helped many companies in starting business there.

He was equally responsible for organizing the most important political event in Iberian Peninsula, the Estoril Conferences. Focused as well on the interreligious dialogue with the office of the Prime Minister, Amish works closely with the High Commission for Migrations and he is the Secretary-general of the House of India.

Simone ZUCCARELLI

Executive Vice President - Italy

Simone Zuccarelli holds a Master's Degree in International Relations from the University of Milan. He is President of the Youth Atlantic Treaty Association (YATA) Italy, Executive Vice President of YATA International, Associate Research Fellow for the Italian Atlantic Committee and he collaborates with some media outlets. His research interests are mainly focused on United States Foreign Policy, geopolitical and security issues in the Middle East region, international relations theory and transatlantic relations.

Emir GURBUZ

General Secretary - Turkey

Mr. Emir Abbas Gürbüz is President of Turkish-Atlantic Youth Council and Secretary-General of YATA International.

Emir holds a law degree from Bahçeşehir University Law school and is currently pursuing a masters degree at the Turkish National Defence University. In his professional life, he is senior partner at Orhun Law & Counsulting Firm since 2016. He has published various articles on Public International Law.

Juxhina SOTIRI GJONI

Vice President Communications - Albania

Juxhina Sotiri graduated from the State University of Tirana with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a profile in Politics and Government. Through an Excellence Scholarship from the European University of Tirana she equally pursued a in International Relations. Juxhina has a Master of Science in Strategic Studies from the EUT and a Master of Science in International Law. She has worked at the European University of Tirana as a Professor Assistant at the Department of International Relations, Faculty of Applied Social Science. She has been part of the Youth Atlantic Treaty Association of Albania since 2010 as a student and working closely with the ATA of Albania since 2012. For the past five years she has been in charge as the Director of the Department of Human Resources at the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Albania.

Rati BAKHTADZE

Vice President Public Diplomacy - Georgia

Rati Bakhtadze graduated from Tbilisi State University in 2013 with a degree in Law and obtained a Master’s degree in International Law in 2015 with a dissertation focusing on “Georgia and NATO – Article 5 of Washington Treaty and Its Coming Into Action”.

He has attended numerous international and local training courses and conferences. He attended assemblies, forums, and round-tables in Canada, Estonia, Belgium, Norway, Portugal and other countries. Rati joined YATA Georgia in 2013, 2014-2018 where he has served as executive director.

In 2013-2015 he worked as a legal analyst at the NGO “Georgian’s Reforms Associates”. In 2015-2018 he worked as a chief specialist at the Office of the Public Defender of Georgia Rati is currently a Ph.D. candidate in International Law, Secretary General of YATA Georgia, and VP for Public Diplomacy at YATA. Rati speaks English and Russian in addition to native Georgian.

Ema KALUDJEROVIC

Vice President Finance - Montenegro

Ema Kaludjerovic is the Vice President of Finance of YATA International and the President of YATA Montenegro.

She studied economics, at the Faculty of Economics at University of Montenegro. In 2017/18 she attended Erasmus+ student exchange program at the University of Heidelberg in Germany.

She has been a volunteer at the Atlantic Council of Montenegro since 2015 and she became a member of the YATA Montenegro, the only youth organization in Montenegro working specifically on foreign policy, security and defense policy issues. She is currently working on creating a platform where young people can increase their knowledge in this area trough meaningful debates, conferences, other formal and informal events. She is also one of the team leaders at the To Be Secure Forum, the biggest political-security forum in SEE.

Since September 2018 she has been working in the Atlantic Council of Montenegro in the Finance sector.

Join the ATA newsletter!

You can also find us on social media!

The Atlantic Treaty Association (ATA) is an organization of 38 national chapters that, since 1954 has been conducting analyses, training, education, and information activities on foreign affairs and security issues relevant to the Atlantic Alliance. ATA draws together political leaders, diplomats, civilian and military officers, academics, economic actors as well as young professionals and students in an effort to further the values set forth in the North Atlantic Treaty.